Memories of the Great Depression: a Time Remembered
About my Book Why have I written this book? The answer is simple. In writing my first book, Memories of the Great Depression: A Time Forgotten, the process of gathering first-hand personal accounts of people who lived through the Great Depression of the 1930s and preserving them became a labor of love. The 1930s were a time when people made do with what they had. For most Americans, it was an era of hand-me-downs, darning socks, and making do with the bare necessities. For the more well-to-do, of course, there were still luxuries. But the wealthy who had common sense, took care not to flaunt their wealth, while the wealthy with compassion used significant portions of their wealth for civic improvements and to help the poor and destitute. Today, the idea of waking your deceased father in the living room of the family home would be unthinkable. But in the 1930s, when families had little or no money to spare, the dead were waked in their own parlors. A new baby sister, born just before Christmas, was considered the family’s Christmas present! Watching a goldfish swim in his bowl sitting atop the console radio was the “early television” of the 1930s. The accounts contained in this book are the original, first-hand stories of folks who lived through the Great Depression. I have taken their accounts as they were given to me on my tape recorder. I have changed nothing of substance, but I have organized the materials to create coherent accounts and to avoid redundancies. And of course, I have supplied the punctuation. But the stories are entirely theirs; not mine. |
What Readers have said — Endorsements
A. — Bonnie Keiner. Endorsed Educator: History and English. Endorsed also by the Wharton School of Business in New Product Introduction; Product Management; Financial Management; and Life Cycle Management
John Donald O’Shea “hits it out of the park” with Memories of the Great Depression: a Time Remembered. While his first book was darn good, this one is “5 stars.” I felt I was with the characters in this book as they describe their old neighborhoods, eke out their meals, and strug- gle to survive. I was captivated and transported back nearly 100 years. A “must read.“
B. — Gregory D. Cusack. Retired college teacher (American history and political science); former member of Iowa House of Representatives and Davenport City Council
The stories gathered in this book—abundantly recall memories of long-ago days—are less a nostalgic journey, than a reminder both of the toughness and courage of the human spirit, as well as, how people man- aged to fare without so many of the conveniences and safety networks that we take for granted today. The depth of their human decency is evident throughout, and they speak of common, shared experiences that are increasingly rare today.
C. — Thomas Longeway — CEO Classic Sunglasses, LLC. Retired
The story-tellers paint word-pictures of the lives they knew dur- ing America’s Great Depression of the 1930s — individual accounts, detailing a common experience. These are stories of how ordinary Americans dealt with daily life during a period when the American economy tanked. It’s a history that our children need to know.
D. — Joseph P. Murphy — Vietnam Veteran 1968-69
[Judge] O’ Shea delivers the story of the Great Depression, and of the sacrifices the American people made in deeply trying times prior to and during the war. It paints a vivid picture of how families managed to endure during a most difficult time in America. The stories throughout capture the essence of self-reliance, as well as reliance on others. The idea of “we are all in this together“ is woven through the fabric. His ability to tell the stories of individuals, kids, workers, the down-and-out, as well as those not as deeply impacted financially by the Depression, is inspiring.
I strongly recommend Memories of the Great Depression: A Time Remembered to those of us born and raised just after the Greatest Generation. It is my recommendation that it be made available as an historical reference book for the generations to come.
E. -- Frank Lyons — engineer and writer
The storytellers — ordinary Americans — recall the times in their lives when dust storms blotted out the daylight and suffocated breath- ers; and the depressed economy forced thousands of people into pov- erty and bankruptcy. Readers of Memories of the Great Depression: A Time Remembered will learn the history of America’s “Great Depression of the 1930s” at the grassroots level.
F. — Thomas Montgomery — Attorney, Ret'd.
A recommended book for insight into what the Great Depression was like for 24 individuals who were then living and experienced it. Twenty four individuals of varied backgrounds give their respective recollections of what it was like growing up during the time of the Great Depression. The book preserves their memories of that time period for all of us. The book is very entertaining and informative and gives their experiences during this time. Their accounts show how radically different life was for everyone during this unique period of time in our country’s history. Gives us an appreciation of how fortunate we are today in comparison to how difficult life was during the Great Depression.
John Donald O’Shea “hits it out of the park” with Memories of the Great Depression: a Time Remembered. While his first book was darn good, this one is “5 stars.” I felt I was with the characters in this book as they describe their old neighborhoods, eke out their meals, and strug- gle to survive. I was captivated and transported back nearly 100 years. A “must read.“
B. — Gregory D. Cusack. Retired college teacher (American history and political science); former member of Iowa House of Representatives and Davenport City Council
The stories gathered in this book—abundantly recall memories of long-ago days—are less a nostalgic journey, than a reminder both of the toughness and courage of the human spirit, as well as, how people man- aged to fare without so many of the conveniences and safety networks that we take for granted today. The depth of their human decency is evident throughout, and they speak of common, shared experiences that are increasingly rare today.
C. — Thomas Longeway — CEO Classic Sunglasses, LLC. Retired
The story-tellers paint word-pictures of the lives they knew dur- ing America’s Great Depression of the 1930s — individual accounts, detailing a common experience. These are stories of how ordinary Americans dealt with daily life during a period when the American economy tanked. It’s a history that our children need to know.
D. — Joseph P. Murphy — Vietnam Veteran 1968-69
[Judge] O’ Shea delivers the story of the Great Depression, and of the sacrifices the American people made in deeply trying times prior to and during the war. It paints a vivid picture of how families managed to endure during a most difficult time in America. The stories throughout capture the essence of self-reliance, as well as reliance on others. The idea of “we are all in this together“ is woven through the fabric. His ability to tell the stories of individuals, kids, workers, the down-and-out, as well as those not as deeply impacted financially by the Depression, is inspiring.
I strongly recommend Memories of the Great Depression: A Time Remembered to those of us born and raised just after the Greatest Generation. It is my recommendation that it be made available as an historical reference book for the generations to come.
E. -- Frank Lyons — engineer and writer
The storytellers — ordinary Americans — recall the times in their lives when dust storms blotted out the daylight and suffocated breath- ers; and the depressed economy forced thousands of people into pov- erty and bankruptcy. Readers of Memories of the Great Depression: A Time Remembered will learn the history of America’s “Great Depression of the 1930s” at the grassroots level.
F. — Thomas Montgomery — Attorney, Ret'd.
A recommended book for insight into what the Great Depression was like for 24 individuals who were then living and experienced it. Twenty four individuals of varied backgrounds give their respective recollections of what it was like growing up during the time of the Great Depression. The book preserves their memories of that time period for all of us. The book is very entertaining and informative and gives their experiences during this time. Their accounts show how radically different life was for everyone during this unique period of time in our country’s history. Gives us an appreciation of how fortunate we are today in comparison to how difficult life was during the Great Depression.